Arch restorer



w. V. I AlsURE April 5, 1932.

ARCH RESTORER F'iled Sept. 18, 1930 Qwue'ntoz W' V, mieu/fe,

Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED S'a'iitd WILLIAM V. LAISURE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALFORNIA Anon nnsro'ann Application led September 18, 1980.

The invention relates to arch restorers and particularly to devices designed to be worn in a shoe and to be secured iixedly in position therein so that the foot in the shoe will be subjected to a massaging action at the point where the arch of the foot shows the rst signs of weakness; said weakness being induced by unusual strain on the arch or because of increase in weight of subject; and also correction of and cure for many of the abnormal conditions of the arch and foot- The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side edge view, partly broken away and in section, of the improved arch restorer showing a conventional shoe and the bone structure of a foot in broken lines;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the arch re- Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on a plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on a plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

In the drawings similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Foot arch trouble is attributable to weakening of the muscles and tendons of the ball structure of the longitudinal arch, causing the bones in the arch to assume an unnatural position and resulting in what is commonly called a fallen arch.

The arch restorer consists in the provision of a support to be secured in a shoe comprising a base member 1, consisting of two thicknesses or layers of material preferably leather, designated 2 and 3, respectively, and, in the preferred construction of the sup-port, the under layer 2 is preferably fine white elk hide or leather, while the upper layer 3 is preferably very thin calf sole leather, machine pressed. The two superposed layers are cut to exactly lit the inner sole of the shoe in which the support is to be secured and are secured together by means of stitching 4iadjacent the edges of the support and a circular row of stitching 5, the ends of said row Serial No. 482,889.

beginning at spaced points 6 on the edge of the base member 1 and forming a pouch 7 to receive a shaped insert 8 of cork or other suitable material. rlhe upper layer of leather 3 between the points 6, 6, is provided with a tongue or lap 9 that is folded down and under the base member l, as best shown in Figure 3, and serves the purpose of a flap to hold the insert 8 in place in the pocket 7.

ln placing the support in the shoe it is inserted so that one end of base member 1 is at the back of the shoe over the heel, this end of the base member being curved as shown at l to lit the heel and the pocket 7 is so-located that the highest point of the insert 8, that is curved longitudinally as shown in Figures 1 and-i is in vertical alinement with a point substantially one-eighth of an inch in front of the breast of the shoe heel as shown in Figure 1. The base member 1 must-be secured in the shoe against movement and the preferable means for so securing it are small tacks, the upper face of the base member 1 being` provided with indentations 11 to indicate the proper locations of the tacks' and to countersink their heads when driven into place. also when secured in place as above described, the outer edge 12 of the insert must be perpendicular to the edge of the inner sole of the shoe to insure direct bearing with no chances of slipping.

By locating the support as above described the rearwardly curved portion of the insert, desi 0nated 13, during the use of the shoe and particularly when walking, kneads or massages the muscular structure under and forward of the os calcis A on the inner side of the longitudinal arch, and also supports said bone directly below a point where the tarsal astragalus bears upon the inner iiange of the sustentaculum tali, so that distortion of the arch is impossible.

Also as the insert 8 is tapered transversely of the base member 1, as shown at 1li, in Figure 3, all pressure on the arteries on the plantar surface traveling parallel with the longitudinal arch structure is eliminated, and as the major point of support for the arch is on the part of the base member 1 in which is located the insert 8, that is within the outline formed by the roW of stitching 5, no pressure is brought to bear on any other part of the longitudinal arch structure.

In practice the foot is first fitted with a shoe without the support, and then the support is inserted in the shoe and secured in position, including an insert of proper thickness vertically to support the arch of the foot in its natural position, the insert 8 being removable from the pouch 7 for this purpose, the thickness of the insert varying from vesiXteenths to nine-sixteenths of an inch for different feet.

It will be apparent that as there is no part of the support between the foot and the shoe upper, there is no uncomfortable pressure on the foot and the shoe retains its normal or original shape while being Worn with the support in place; and furthermore because of the lightness of the support structure it is adaptablel to any type of shoes, even of the most extreme styles Without discomfort to the wearer.

What is claimed is An arch restorer for application to a shoe, comprising a base member of two superposed layers of flexible material secured together, acurved row of stitching sewed through the two layers and providing a pouch opening out through a side of said base member, an insert removably engaged in said pouch, and a tongue extending from the edge of the upper of said layers between the ends of said row of stitching and providing a flap for folding over the pouch opening and the end of said insert to retain the insert in the pouch, said tongue having its free end folded under the base member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM V. LAISURE 

